This invention relates to accessories for hanging shower curtains on shower rods and more particularly to a unitary shower curtain hanger which requires a minimum of manipulation to utilize.
Shower curtain hangers are required to mount plastic shower curtains and shower curtain liners on shower curtain rods which, in essence, covert a bathtub into a shower stall by providing a water impermeable shield extending above the upper rim of the bathtub. Ideally, such hangers should be easy to install and should securely hold the shower curtain in place, while still allowing for removal of the curtain or its liner for cleaning, or during redecorating.
Presently available shower curtain hangers may accomplish one or the other of these objectives but do not satisfy both. Generally, the easier it is to mount the shower curtain and liner on the hanger, the more likely it is that the curtain will accidentally become dislodged, which could result in water damage to the bathroom.
Conversely, hangers which firmly grip the shower curtain and the liner quite often require an appreciable amount of effort in order to be removed. This frequently results in hazardous maneuvers, such as standing on the rim of the bathtub while attempting to manipulate the shower curtain hangers.
One form of shower curtain hanger which has become popular is generally described as having two ends with a hook at either end. At one end the hook is sized and shaped to accommodate the shower curtain rod, while at the other end, the hook is sized and shaped to accommodate the grommet found in the beading of a shower curtain. Such hooks are open and have no closure means to maintain the hook on the rod, or the curtain on the hook, once in place. Typically, these hangers are fashioned from styrene, a non-flexible plastic which may crack when stressed. Other versions of this staple of lavatory commerce feature hangers shaped at the top to fit around the curtain rod, with the bottom portion being a snap-and-eye configuration which is inserted through the shower curtain grommet. In order to utilize such devices, mating ends of the hanger are deformed apart a sufficient distance to allow insertion over the curtain rod. The ends of the hanger must be laterally deformed a sufficient distance for the snap to be positioned at the edge of a track on the side of the hanger. While such a device securely holds the curtain on the rod, the limitations of the snap-and-eye configuration result in a considerable effort and torque exertion being required to laterally pry apart the hanger for mounting or removal of the curtain.
This invention has, therefore, as an object the provision of shower curtain hangers in a form through which shower curtains may be easily mounted.
A second object is to provide such hangers in forms which resist cracking and breaking.
A third object is to provide such hangers in forms easily operable and manipulatable to insert or remove shower curtains; and to provide such hangers in decorative and appealingly styled forms.
These and other objects of the invention will become apparent in view of the present Specification.